I have an extra calling card. If I send it to you will you get it to a soldier in Iraq?
Dave,
Thank you. I am so happy that you asked that question and I mean that sincerely.
And thanks to those who e-mailed and PMd me (especially q) asking similar questions today.
I am excited that individual Americans are ready to step forward with no political provocation, intervention, or motivation and do the right thing.
I have a two part answer for you. I will deliver the 2nd part tomorrow.
uw
Dear friends,
History is replete with examples of conquest with contribution. Those conquerors who brought a contribution with their government systems survived and endured. Those conquests led to extraordinary contributions to humanity. Even smaller contributions were enough to garner the peoples’ support sufficiently to ensure survival of the conqueror.
History also provides us with numerous examples of conquest without contribution. To my knowledge all of them have failed.
For these reasons, I believe America will survive and the terrorists will be defeated. The terrorists have not and have nothing to contribute to the well-being of mankind.
Mankind’s current enemies are like a plague of insects. There are nearly too many. They try to overwhelm us in certain situations. We will not find peace trying to swat them away individually. In order to eliminate this plague, each individual nest must be located and exterminated.
Our Armed Forces are currently locating and killing these nests one by one. Our military’s contribution is freedom from oppression and freedom to pursue God’s gifts to mankind. And they are contributing to each of our personal freedoms here at home.
Shall we leave it to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, and Marines to pursue this task alone? Shall we leave it to their families to endure the accompanying hardships alone?
By voting for Kerry, 48% of America has informed our Servicemen and women that they are fighting the wrong war. 48% of America has informed our soldiers’ families that their on-going sacrifices are a waste. Is that really the message we want our servicemen and women and their families to receive? Do we want them to believe that nearly ½ of us could care less about them and their sacrifices? Do we want them to believe that they are wrong...and they make a mistake everyday when they don their body armor, pick up their rifles and fight our war?
If you are like me and answer no to each of these questions, we must put our minds and efforts together to overcome the perception. We must find a way to participate in the individual sacrifices. We must accept and place a share of our servicemen’s load on our own shoulders.
Many of you know instinctively what you must do. Many of ya’ll have been doing it. Some, who answer the questions no, have done nothing for one of two reasons. Either you would like to help but don’t know what to do, or you don’t recognize the importance of your contribution. The rest of this message is for you.
We have entered two key phases for the current conflict.
The first is on the battlefield abroad. Our servicemen and women have been enduring some of the toughest fighting of this war, and they are winning. They are well on the way to freeing 50 million oppressed people and securing freedom for their future.
The second is on the battlefield at home. We are entering the 2004 holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are times for family rendezvous, church gatherings, get-togethers with friends, and good times shared by all.
Hundreds of thousands of our service families will be missing a son, a husband, and/or a dad, because he is serving far from home this holiday season. For them the joy of Christmas will be hard to find.
For others who lost a son, husband or dad this year...the joy of these holidays will be nearly impossible to find.
We need to ask ourselves; should we help; could we help, and would we help?
I believe, upon a small bit of reflection, most of us will say yes, we should help. Those of us who truly trust our leaders and support our troops have certainly had the thought that we should help.
Could we help must be answered be each of us individually. My answer is, of course I could help. I could pass on a couple of my daily Starbucks and send a phone card to a soldier. But ya know personally and quite honestly, I could maintain the Starbucks habit and could still help.
Finally we have to answer would we help. This is the biggie. Even if we accept that we should and could...we won’t take action until we decide we would.
Some will wonder if they can afford to give enough to be meaningful. I share with you that a few years ago; I had the honor of being the volunteer project officer for a large refugee resettlement. We set an initial goal of raising $50,000. It seemed nearly impossible to me as project officer...but, Jimmy, one of our members, assured us constantly it would be done and kept telling us to plan for that and more.
Those of us working this project everyday developed a little saying, “If everyone does a little, we can and will do a lot.” Before we completed this job, the donations of cash, household goods, clothing, etc., totaled over $2 million. Amazingly our largest single contribution was $1,000 and we had few of those. Thousand upon thousands of good folks contributed a little and it added up to a lot.
We don't have to do a lot alone. we just have to decide if we could, if we should, and if we would.
We were able to do things for these abused, needy, oppressed and deserving people that went far beyond our initial and wildest expectations. None of the military volunteers drew a salary. There were no free lunches and no expense accounts, just a bunch of Special Forces, and other military folks and their families who wanted to help others.
If you believe you should help our servicemen and their families this holiday season, and if you could help them, and if you are among those who should and could and WOULD if you knew how...my next message is meant for you.
I understand this...better than you know. I spent the following Thanksgivings and Christmases overseas while serving in the US Army and Special Forces. 1963, 64, 65, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 77, 78, and 79.
I invite you to join me in serving those who serve us this holiday season.
Tomorrow, I will explain how I think we all can help. I invite all other veterans to join me with their ideas and programs.
Till then, remember if we all do a little it will be a helluva lot.
unclewest
Us Army, Green Beret, Retired. |
